Vertical axis roundabout



1954 M. L. WILLIAMS VERTICAL AXIS ROUNDABOUT Filed July 26, 1952 2Sheets-$heet 1 mmvqozg. Me/z/m L. M ////d/775 United States PatentVERTICALA'XJS ROUNDABOUT Melvin ,L. Williams, Lansing, Kans.

Application lluly26, 1952, Serial No. 301,023

3 Claims. (Cl.'27243) This invention has :to .do with amusementapparatus in the nature ofa :ride 'for-children'wherein is employed toyautomobiles or like mobile wehicles mounted for advancement'in a circlearound 'a band-like supporting platform therefor, the primary objectbeing to provide in apparatus of such character, interconnected partsthroughout the entire assembly that are easily and quickly assembled anddisassembled for movement as desired.

This is a continuation-in-part.of'my co-pending application Serial No.105,938, filed July 21, l949,-abandoned, andhas for the primary objectthe improvement upon the kiddie auto ride therein set forth by arevision of the component parts, elimination of unnecessary elements,and therefore, simplification of the 'demountable structure.

An important object of this invention is to provide :amusementapparatus'wherein is provided three relatively superimposed, wheel-likeelements each having a hub, -.a plurality of spoke elements andreleasable interconnecting means for the spoke elements that =1ncludes aturnbuckle, to the end that the spoke-elementsmay be tightly drawntogether and inwardly toward'the hub without the necessity of anyadditional interconnecting means requiring the use of tools in theassembling and dlsassembling.

Other ='imp.or tant-objects of this invention "relate to the way inwhich the :band-like supporting platform for the mobile vehicles iscarried by the spoke elements of one of the wheel-like structures; themanner of insertion of the segments forming a part of the sectionalplatform between upstanding projections -on the spoke elements of thesupport; the way in which drawing of the spokes of the support inwardlytoward the hub thereof also holds the platform tightly inter-lockedthrough themedrum of lap joints on the segments of the platform; the wayin which the support for the autos also supports a roof; the manner forproviding framework for the roof that is self-supporting through use ofthe principles aforementioned; and many other important objectsincluding details of construction, all of which will be made clear asthe following specification progresses.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a top plan view of a kiddie auto rlde made pursuant to mypresent invention, parts being broken away for clearness.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view thereof, parts being broken away toreveal details of construction.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, elevational view showing the hub of the supportand the hub of the rotor, together with the motivating means for thelatter, the spokes of the aforesaid elements being entirely removed.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed, crosssectional view takenon line IVIV of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed, crosssectional view takenon line V-V of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on lineVI-VI of Fig. 4.

The three primary components of the amusement apparatus forming thesubject matter hereof, consists of a wheel-like support 10, a wheel-likerotor 12, and a roof 14 that has a wheel-like frame hereinafter to befully described.

The support is provided with a hub 16 that is preferably in the form ofa circular disc and provided with an annular row of collars 18 at theperiphery thereof as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, togetherwith an innermost annular row of sockets 20. Each collar -18, and itscorresponding socket '20, that :is mounted on "the :uppermost face ofthe hub 16, :receives :an 161011- gated, preferably tubular :spoke 22that .extends radially and outwardly :-beyond .the hub '16 and.terminates in .an upstanding "tube .24 .shown :most clearly in Figs. 4.and.6; each itu'be 24zin1turn slidably receivestan upstanding standard26 that is :mounted on the uppermost face of a foot 28, :andreach tube124 likewise has .a pin fill-traversing .the same and extending throughone of a plurality 20f :openings 32 in thestandard :26.

Similar supporting means, broadly :designated by the numeral 34, isprovidedffor thehub 16 asshownin-Figs. 2 sand :3. Consequently, the.entire support 10 can be leveled to accommodate for uneven terrainby-merely 'adjusting the pins 30 forthe spokes 22 and for the hub 16respectively.

The spokes 22 support an annular band-like platform 36 that is composed:of a plurality of identical, :arcuate segments 38, the segments 38being interconnected directlyabove the-spokes'22 by lap joints 40. It isnoted that the segments 33 are each provided with opposed, downturnedflanges that rest upon the spokes'22 inutheamanner illustrated byFigs. 1, 2, 4 and 6. The platform'36 is interposed between theupstanding tubes 24 and the .ver-

tical leg of an .L-shaped bracket 42 that is rigid to each spoke 22respectively, intermediate the ends of the latter. Thus, the lap joints40 which manifestly =comprise the weakest points of the entire platform36,-are not only disposed directly above the spokes 22 but areinterposed between the tubes 24 and the brackets or 48 is interposed inone of the links 46 as shown in Fig. l

of thedrawings. The innermost ends of the sockets2t)areclosed-and,therefore, as turnbuckle 48 is manipulated, all of thespokes 22 are drawninwardly towardthe vertical axis of'hub '16 whichnotonly rigidly interconnects all of the spokes 22, but tends to drawthe platform 36 inwardly toward the hub 16 and-binds together all of thesegmentsSb-of the platform 26, presenting therefore, a unitaryconstruction in the entire support 10.

:Hub 16 'of the support '10 carries mounting means '50 for a prime mover'54 such asan electric motor, that is operably coupled with a speedreducer 52. Speed reducer 52 terminates in a vertical shaft 56 that isin turn connected at its uppermost end with a'plate-like'hub58 formingapart ofthe rotor 12. "Like the hub 16, there isprovided an annular rowof collars .60 on theuppermost face of the plate 58 at the peripherythereof, together with a like number of socket members 62 as detailedmost clearly in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Rotor 12 has a spoke-like arm 64 extending into each collarrespectively, and therefore, into each corresponding socket member 62.The radially extending arms 64 are arched downwardly as the outermostends thereof are approached in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2 of thedrawings, rendering the rotor 12 substantially domeshaped, and arms 64are also substantially L-shaped as shown in Fig. l of the drawings,terminating in a bifurcated end 66 so as to adapt the same for pivotalcoupling with a toy car or other mobile vehicle for children, designatedby the numeral 68.

The arms 64, like the spokes 22, have opposed, perforated ears 70thereon for receiving interconnecting links 72, one of which has aturnbuckle 74 therein as shown in Fig. 1. Here again, it is butnecessary to take up the turnbuckle 74 in order to join the arms 64 as aunit with the hub 58 and such action draws the arms 64 inwardly intoabutting relationship with the closed ends of the socket members 62, itbeing understood that arms 64 are freely slidable within the collars 60and within the socket members 62.

The arms 64 and the links 72 present a convenient means for mounting acover 75 of flexible material such as canvas, on the rotor 12, therebyadding to the attractive appearance of the entire apparatus.

As above indicated, the roof 14 is held in place by the support 10 andto this end, each tube 24 respectively of the spokes 22, has a secondtube 76 secured directly thereto as shown in Fig. 4. The lowermost endsof the tube 76 are closed for receiving vertical posts 78 that arepreferably tubular, so that the same may telescopically receive at theuppermost ends thereof, rods 80 forming a part of a framework for theroof 14. An external shoulder 82 on each rod 80 bears against theuppermost end of the posts 78 as shown in Fig. 4. Rods 80 are preferablyarched slightly adjacent their lowermost ends and extend upwardly andinwardly in spoke-like fashion toward a disc-like hub 84. The disc 84has a row of sockets 86 rigid to the upper face thereof and taking muchthe same form as sockets 62 for receiving the proximal uppermost ends ofthe rods 80.

To the end that such framework for the roof 14 that includes rods 80 anddisc 84 is rendered self-sustaining, the posts 78 are interconnected bya plurality of U-shaped links 88. Posts 78 are provided with opposed,perforated ears 90 adjacent the uppermost ends thereof for receiving thedown-turned legs of the links 88 and as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings,one of the links 88 has a turnbuckle 92 therein. This turnbuckle 92rigidly binds the posts 78 together, serves to tightly hold the rods 80against displacement in any direction, and forces the rods 80 tightlyinto their sockets 86. A cover 94 for the domeshaped roof 14 overliesthe rods 80, the disc-like hub 84,

and is joined at its lowermost periphery to the links 88 in any suitablefashion not herein detailed.

It is now apparent that the hubs 16, 58 and 84 are relativelysuperimposed and have their vertical axes coincident with the axis ofrotation of shaft 56.

Those skilled in this field are well aware of the fact that a tremendousinvestment is needed to undertake the business of providing a playgroundfor children, and therefore, the present invention presents a classicexample of a satisfactory, attractive amusement apparatus that is notexpensive to manufacture, maintain, or transport. It is unique in itsprovision of a relatively large number of separable parts, butnotwithstanding such fact, when the same are interconnected in anoperable manner, the entire structure is still rigid and capable ofwithstanding considerable abuse. No experienced help is needed toassemble or disassemble the three primary components 10, 12 and 14, andsuch operation can be accomplished within a few minutes.

The principle of interlocking the spoke-like elements by use of a singleturnbuckle to force the said spoke elements inwardly into theirrespective sockets, is carried out in each of the three instances and byvirtue of such principle, the aforesaid objects are fully attained.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In amusement apparatus, a wheel-like support for mobile vehicles; aroof for the support, said support including a fiat hub having aplurality of socket members mounted thereon, a horizontal spoke in eachmember respectively and extending radially outwardly from the hub, aninner and an outer vertical tube rigid to each spoke respectively at theoutermost free ends of the latter, an upstanding projection on eachspoke respectively intermediate the ends thereof, a circular, band-likeplatform resting on the spokes and composed of a number of arcuatesegments, lap joints interconnecting the segments, there being a lapjoint overlying each spoke respectively between the projection andinnermost tube thereof, with the platform confined tightly between theprojections and the innermost tubes, a plurality of links pivotallyinterconnecting the spokes between the projections and the hub, and aturnbuckle forming a part of one of the links for forcing the spokestightly into the socket members and for drawing the platform segmentstightly together at the lap joints and radially inwardly toward the hub;a wheel-like rotor overlying the support beneath the roof, said rotorhaving a center plate and a plurality of arms radiating from the plate,the outermost ends of the arms terminating above the platform and eachbeing adapted for coupling with a mobile vehicle on the platform; a footfor each spoke respectively having a standard extending upwardly intothe corresponding innermost tube and secured thereto; and a verticalroof-supporting post in each of the outermost tubes respectively, theposts and the standards being Within concentric rows surrounding theplatform.

2. In the apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said roof includesa disc above the center plate having a plurality of socket elementsmounted thereon; an elongated rod for each post respectively, each rodhaving one end thereof in a socket element of the disc and extendingradially and downwardly from the latter to the upper end of acorresponding post upon which the other end of the rod is mounted; and acover supported by said rods.

3. In the apparatus as set forth in claim 2. wherein is provided aplurality of links pivotally interconnecting the posts between theplatform and the rods, and a turnbuckle forming a part of one of saidlast-mentioned links for rendering the frame presented by the rods anddisc selfsustaining.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 669,621 Conderman Mar. 12, 1901 1,707,516 Foss Apr. 2, 19291,877,656 Giraud Sept. 13, 1932 2,197,791 Eddy Apr. 23, 1940 2,408,479Pooler Oct. 1, 1946 2,469,498 Decker et al May 10, 1949

